Traditional user interfaces typically provide users with search tools to navigate through content, examples of which include scroll bars and sliders. Word processing applications usually provide scroll bars to control the viewing of a document by causing displayed text or graphics to move up, down, or across the display. Media players commonly provide a slider to enable a user to access different playback portions of a multimedia file. Generally, these search tools enable a user to traverse through content at a rate that is relatively proportional to the physical actions of the user. While functional, there are certain drawbacks to current techniques for navigating through content.
FIG. 1A depicts the use of a common pointing device used to navigate through content. As shown, a media player 102 is designed to display content 104 in response to control inputs 120, which can include a play input and a stop input. Further, media player 102 includes a slider 112 configured to move relative to a scale 110, which can represent a time scale. Slider 112, therefore, can select a playback portion anywhere from the beginning to the end of content 104. A user typically uses a pointing cursor (“pointer”) 130 to select and drag slider 112 along scale 110 at a linear rate proportional to, for example, the movement of a mouse (or the length of time a pointing stick is activated). One drawback is that pointing device input 132 is a relatively sophisticated input device that senses motion and provides inputs representing movement in two-dimensional space (e.g., X and Y coordinates). One example of pointing device input 132 is a mouse. Another drawback is that not all hardware platforms implement pointing device input 132, such as devices having relatively small interfaces, including mobile phones, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), and DVD-player remote controllers. Still yet another drawback is that pointing device input 132 requires additional time and effort relative to using, for example, one or more keys of a keyboard.
FIG. 1B depicts the use of a button device to navigate through content. As shown, a media player 152 includes a slider 162 configured to move relative to a scale 160, which represents a playback portion of content 154. Here, a user typically uses slider key 170 to incrementally move slider 162. Note that, as shown, the activation of slider key 170 causes slider 162 to move an incremental distance, “I,” to position 164, with a subsequent activation of slider key 170 causing slider 162 to again move an incremental distance, “I,” to subsequent position 166. Increment distance, “I,” typically represents a discrete value, such as 1 to 5 seconds. Examples of slider key 170 include a left arrow and/or right arrow key of a keyboard. One drawback of slider key 170 is that a user is usually required to either activate slider key 170 numerous times or hold slider key 170 for an amount of time to step through earlier portions of content 154 to reach the latter portions.
It would be desirable to provide improved techniques, systems and devices that minimize one or more of the drawbacks associated with conventional techniques for searching content.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Note that most of the reference numerals include one or two left-most digits that generally identify the figure that first introduces that reference number.